Instead, Best Buy said it would proactively mail the gift cards to all customers it could identify as purchasing an HD DVD player or accessory, based on store records. Members of the Best Buy Reward Zone program, customers who purchased Performance Service Plans (PSPs) or who made their purchase on BestBuy.com should look for their gift cards in the mail by May 1, the company said.

Customers can also call 888-BEST-BUY to process their order using a credit-card receipt as evidence.

A third option for customers is Best Buy's online trade-in center beginning March 21, where the value of their HD DVD player and movies can be assessed. If the customer chooses, he or she can then print out a shipping label and send the player and movies back to the retailer, in exchange for an additional gift card.

"The DVD format war has divided our customers in a way we haven't seen since Betamax took on VHS more than 20 years ago," said Brian J. Dunn, president and chief operating officer for Best Buy, in a statement. "At Best Buy, we understood and shared our customers' frustrations as they were being asked to choose one format or the other. Now that the format war is over, we hope these gift cards will reassure our customers that we will help them make a smooth transition into the right technology for their needs."